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A slice of South Canara on his terrace

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By:Sindhuja Balaji

This artist’s strong affiliation to his hometown reflects generously in his peaceful studio and inspires him daily

Gurudas Shenoy (48)Artist Artists draw inspiration from various sources, and Gurudas Shenoy is no different. His studio, on the second floor terrace of his Vijayanagar home, transports you to South Canara. Featuring redwood tiles and oil paintings, the 1,000 sq foot space, with high ceilings, natural skylights, lack of ceiling fans and minimal artificial lighting attempts to recreate a traditional home in South Canara.

“I spend almost 12 hours here and paint only in natural light. By sundown, I put away my easel and paints, and read and listen to music till about 11 pm,” he says. “I created this studio almost 14 years ago with my wife, who is an architect. South Canara has the Western Ghats on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other, and it is the most tranquil place in the world. I have attempted to create a slice of that here.”

Bookshelves stacked from floor to ceiling, and huge oil paintings lined up against the walls lend an erudite feel to the place. Shenoy’s table is stacked with modern day amenities — a music system, printer, scanner, computer and a small television screen — everything he needs to work. As he toys with his iPad, he says, “I always sit facing the entrance from where I can see the Flame of the Forest— a tree my father planted over 40 years ago. This is the oldest tree on this street and it is home to green hornets, squirrels, sparrows and a small white eagle.” Classical music by Hariprasad Chaurasia soothes him. “Sometimes, I play the dhol and the reverberations recharge me every single time.”

Saying he cannot work for a stipulated number of hours at a stretch, he concludes, “this studio has all the elements dear to me, which channel my creative processes better.”